Wire rope configuration



May 4, 1965 G. H. CARPENTER WIRE ROPE CONFIGURATION Filed NOV. 13, 1962INVENTOR GRANTFLCARPENTER MSATTORNEY United States Patent 3,181,291 WIREROPE CONFIGURATION Grant H. Carpenter, Montoursville, Pa., assignor toJones & Laughlin Steel Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Filed Nov. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 236,951

2 Claims. (Cl. 57-148) This invention relates to wire ropes. It is moreparticularly concerned with wire ropes formed principally or entirelyfrom a plurality of strands of different diameters each of which isformed from a plurality of solid wires.

It is an object of my invention to provide a wire rope structure whichwill exhibit maximum service life for a given cross section area. Tothis end it is an object of my invention to provide a wire rope whichwill wear uniformly in service. It is also an object to provide a wirerope which possesses maximum resiliency under shock load. It is anotherobject of my invention to provide a wire rope which will have improvedresistance to crushing. It is still another object to provide a wirerope which in cross section will have a relatively large metal area. Itis yet another object of my invention to provide a Wire rope of highflexibility. Qther objects of my invention will appear in the course ofthe description thereof which follows.

An embodiment of my invention presently preferred by me is illustratedin the attached figures to which reference is now made.

FIGURE 1 is a cross section through a rope of my invention having outerstrands of alternating larger and smaller diameter.

FIGURE 2 is a cross section of an alternate structure for the largerdiameter outer strands of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an alternate structure for the smaller diameter outerstrands of FIGURE 1.

It will be seen from FIGURE 1 that the rope there illustrated has a corecomprised of three strands 3 which are helically laid together without acenter core wire or strand. Each strand 3 comprises a center wire 4which is surrounded by six outer wires 5, helically laid together. Thedirection of lay of the three strands 3 is the same as that of outerstrands 1 and 2. Wire 4 is about 4% larger in diameter than wires 5-5,to provide clearance between the latter wires when the rope is flexed.

The core formed by strands 3-3 is surrounded with three strands 1 oflarger diameter which are helically laid alternately with three strands2 of smaller diameter so that each strand 1 makes contact with a pair ofstrands 3-3 and each strand 2 makes contact with one strand 3 only ofthe core. Each strand 1 is of the same diameter as the other strands 11,and each strand 2 is also of the same diameter as the other strands 22.The relative diameters of strands 1-1 and strands 22 are adjusted sothat strands 1-1 and strands 2-2 are tangent to a circumscribed circlehaving its center at the center of the core comprised by strands 3-3.Strands 1-1 and 2-2 are laid together helically in the same direction asthe lay of strands 3-3.

Each strand 1 comprises a center wire 6 around which are helically laidsix wires 7. Around the intermediate wires 7-7 are helically laid twelvewires 8. Wires 6, 7-7 and 8-8 are laid up in the same direction.

Each strand 2 comprises a center wire 9 around which 3,181,291 PatentedMay 4, 1965 are helically laid nine wires 10. Around these intermediatewires are helically laid nine wires 11. Wire 9 is about 12% larger indiameter than wires 11-11, but wires 10-10 are of smaller diameter thaneither wires 9 or 11-11. Wires 10-10 and 11-11 are helically laid up inthe same direction. Wires 11-11 are of the same diameter as wires 8-8 ofstrand 1.

FIGURE 2 illustrates an alternative structure for larger diameterstrands 1. In the structure a center wire 13 is surrounded by eighthelically laid strands 14 which in turn are surrounded by eighthelically laid strands 15 of larger diameter. In the valleys between thewires 15-15 are helically laid eight filler wires 16. The strand iscompleted by an outer layer of sixteen helically laid wires 17. FillerWires 16-16 are of relatively smaller diameter, wires 13 and 17-17 areof the same diameter, and wires 15-15 are of larger diameter than Wires17-17.

FIGURE 3 illustrates an alternative structure for strand 2. In thisstructure a center wire 18 is surrounded by six helically stranded wires19. The valleys between wires 19-19 are occupied by six filler wires20-20. The strand is completed by an outer layer of twelve wires 21. Allthe wires in the strand are helically laid up in the same directionaround center wire 18. Wire 18 is slightly larger in diameter than wires19-19, and those wires are slightly larger in diameter than Wires 21-21.Filler wires 20-20 are smaller than wires 18, 19 and 21. Outer wires17-17 of the strand of FIGURE 2 are of the same diameter as outer wires21-21 of the strand of FIGURE 3. The alternate strands of FIGURES 2 and3 are used together to replace strands 1 and 2 of FIGURE 1.

It will be observed that all the outer Wires of my rope are of the samediameter whether the outer strands are those shown in FIGURE 1 or thealternate structures shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. The outer wires 8-8 ofstrand 1, therefore, wear down in service at the same rate as the outerwires 11-11 of strand 2. In like fashion, the outer wires 17-17 of thestrand shown in FIGURE 2 wear down at the same rate as outer wires 21-21of the strand shown in FIGURE 3. In this way, my wire rope wil providethe maximum service life possible for a rope of a given outsidediameter. Likewise, my wire rope structure provides maximum resistanceto crushing because of the inherent stability of the three strand core.My rope also exhibits maximum resiliency under shock load because of theabsence of a straight center wire or core. Strands 3-3 are laid uphelically just as are outer strands 1-1 and 2-2 so that under shock theycan untwist and elongate in the same way as the outer strands. As allthe strands comprising my rope are helically laid together, the rope hasgreater flexibility than a rope in cluding a center wire or centerstrand.

I have described and illustrated one alternative structure of strand 1and a companion alternative structure for strand 2, but my invention isnot limited to the alternatives described and illustrated. Those skilledin the art will be able to devise other structures for strands 1 and 2in which the outside wires of strand 1 are of the same diameter as theoutside wires of strand 2. Those structures can be satisfactorilyembodied in rope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a wire rope having an outer rope layer of strands of alternatinglarger and smaller diameter spirally laid together, the improvementcomprising an outer strand 3 layer of solid Wires of uniform diameter,that wire diameter being the same in the strands of larger and smallerdiameter, the outer rope layer strands being tangent to a circumscribedcircle.

2. A Wire rope comprising a core of three strands of the same diameterspirally laid together surrounded by six outer strands of alternatinglarger and smaller diameter spirally laid together, the outer strandsbeing tangent to a circumscribing circle, and having an outer strandlayer of solid wires of uniform diameter, that wire diameter being thesame in the strands of both larger and smaller diameter.

4 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS7 55 Canada. 6/34 Great Britain. 8/ 3 3 Switzerland.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

1. IN A WIRE ROPE HAVING AN OUTER ROPE LAYER OF STRANDS OF ALTERNATINGLARGER AND SMALLER DIAMETER SPIRALLY LAID TOGETHER, THE IMPROVEMENTCOMPRISING AN OUTER STRAND LAYER OF SOLID WIRES OF UNIFORM DIAMETER,THAT WIRE DIAMETER BEING THE SAME IN THE STRANDS OF LARGER AND SMALLERDIAMETER, THE OUTER ROPE LAYER STRANDS BEING TANGENT TO A CIRCUMSCRIBEDCIRCLE.